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The boys from WEARELABRATS give their insight into a changing perception on life, the grind, the music, the madness. Local to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan they've opened for Hopsin, RA the Rugged Man, Sweat Shop Union, and Dirtbag Dan. With music also comes image, and image turns into a successful clothing line that is shown at a urban boutique. Sit down, have a listen to their newest track "Big Cheese", and read some down-to-Earth insight on the up and coming Rats.

With the new direction of your sound, what can the viewer/listener expect from your upcoming music?

Bluesy B – Expect the unexpected. Our last album was very much built off of our humble, modest beginnings. This album however, is to keep people on their toes and guessing about what is next. To put it one way, if this album were a bride, we’d aim to keep the veil on at all times.

What can you tell us about your new track “Big Cheese”?

9d1 – “Big Cheese” is a much heavier and darker outlook on where we are as humans and where we are with our lives now as a collective. We wanted to switch up the pace a little and show people that we could still relate and talk about all the things that surround and connect us as a whole while giving them something to really get hype about.

Bluesy B – “Big Cheese” is intended to be a bold, sporadic performance piece. After performing the entirety of our previous album multiple times we realized that we lacked a song that really got the crowd moving. With aspirations to inspire a more “Punk/Fuck the Haters” vibe we set out to create some animosity within our performances.

AyyeBe – To me personally, “Big Cheese” was like an arrival. We tested the waters with our first album on what we wanted to be and portray as artists but to me, this new single, was a lot of built up emotion and tension, nothing between the group obviously but more like a giant middle finger to a collective of people. I don’t believe I’m a petty person and I do forgive fairly easily, but I don’t forget.

With your new sound what has changed in terms of your philosophical outlook on life?

AyyeBe – I’d say to never put limitations or boundaries on what you can accomplish. Don’t box yourself into a corner or identify with certain people if they’re not allowing you to grow. Life moves very fast and we have minimal time to maximize our experience, don’t doubt yourself or tell yourself what you can’t or shouldn’t do. We hear this all of the time but to actually see it manifest in front of you and hear your progression, it’s surreal.

How important is contemporary culture in your art practice?

AyyeBe – The way that we are all so connected in this modern age, it might be one of the most important. Trends can come and go in an instant and the same goes for sound and music. The culture of music and fashion seem to be very codependent on one another and to be out of the loop in our industry can mean falling out of touch and out of mind faster than you’d think.

What’s integral to the work you produce?

Bluesy B – The most important part of our music has always been connecting to our listeners while still expressing our own thoughts and emotions. We want to provide our listeners with a soundscape in which they can escape to; even if only for a brief moment in time.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

9d1 – There are two things that separate someone who did from someone who just tried, TIME AND PERSISTANCE! Always put time into your passions and make sure you’re listening and not just hearing. Big shout out to Dorian Geiger for showing us how to put in the groundwork, hope you’re doing well big guy.

Bluesy B – “Remain humble in heart, and confident in pursuit.”

Does your “landscape” shape who you are?

9d1 – Completely, a lot of the things we incorporate into our music is from how we grew up and came to be. We like to be nostalgic and bring to light some of the great memories of what molded us as kids whether it be stories, tv shows, movies, etc. and if we can we love to give them life by sampling what we can and adding it into our music.